Oz Report

Tin Cup, value for money

We deliver, you subscribe (LA, CA, USA)

If we knew a way to make a fortune by providing a trusted source of hang gliding information on the internet we would, but we don't, so we have to make so with our rather lame "business" model of asking those of you who find the Oz Report at least a reasonably reliable, if not the only, source of hang gliding community news for your help with our enterprise.  Without your help, well, I can't imagine us being here, at least for long.

We do our very best to provide what you find useful (and rely on many of our readers to help us out with information and articles).  We're not perfect, but we're here making the effort every day.

Thanks to Kraig Coomber (who felt he was a little behind on his subscription) at Moyes USA who sent in $200 for a yearly subscription, Bill Jacques who mailed in a check for $150, and Jim Lamb at AIR USA who sent in $100.  Thanks also to the other pilots who sent in more than $20 for their subscription.  We very much appreciate the extra help as well as all the help we get from those Oz Report readers who subscribe.

You can send $20 or more for a yearly subscription/donation.  To pay for your subscription with your credit card or PayPal account:

If you’d rather just send a check for $20 (US Dollars, only please) or more, please feel free to do so.  The mail gets forwarded to me wherever I’m at.

Payable to:

Davis Straub (Not to the Oz Report)
PMB 1889 PO Box 2430
Pensacola, FL 32513

These are our supporters (if you are not on the list and have donated to the Oz Report, email me and I'll make sure that you are recognized): http://ozreport.com/supporters.php.  Some of you who I've missed in the past did write to me and made sure I knew just how important the Oz Report was to them.  If I've missed you, please do tell me.

Discuss Tin Cup at the Oz Report forum   link»

The relatively high prices for rigid wing hang gliders

They are made in Europe, eastern Europe, and the Ukraine (AIR factory, Germany)

From Aeros USA at http://www.flyaeros.com/ :

Original version found at AIR USA at http://a-i-r-usa.com/content.asp?ID=4381:

The prices are FOB Germany and so crating and freight to the US and destination are in addition Prices in USD are firm for the Euro trading below 1.50 to the US Dollar - please confirm.

If I adjust the AIR USA prices that I show above for the Euro at $1.54 (as the prices given at the AIR USA web site only are good with the euro up to $1.50), I get:

This, of course, is just my guess at what the prices might be if they were adjusted to the Euro/dollar exchange rate.  Within the last two weeks the Euro was as high as $1.59.

The MSRP Euros column above matches except in two cases the AIR (manufacturer's suggested retail prices) found here: http://www.a-i-r.de/eng/air_04e.php?kat=110&gp=4&stl=Models in the overview.  AIR's MSRP prices in Euros include VAT (17.5%) which is only charged in Europe and doesn't apply to non European sales.

The differences are seen in the list prices for the VR and the VQ.  AIR lists the VQ at 13,850, while Jim lists it at 13,480 Euros.  And Felix lists the VR at 14,050, while AIR USA lists it at 13,780 Euros.

The MSRP Euro prices listed on AIR USA web site can just be multiplied by 1.50 to get the US prices on the AIR USA web site.  As except in two cases where there are relatively minor differences, the MSRP Euro prices listed on the AIR USA web site match the listed Euro prices on the AIR web site, which include VAT (which is not charged in the US), this makes it appear as though the US prices, in some manner, includes an equivalent of the VAT, which goes to the dealer and/or distributor, and not the government.

This doesn't seem to be the case, for example, with Icaro, which lists prices excluding VAT for sales outside of Europe.  http://www.icaro2000.com/Products/Hanggliders/Z9/Z9.htm#6.

AIR USA, the US distributor for AIR, is, as stated on the AIR web site, free to list any pricing that it feels is appropriate for its market and its costs.

Discuss Rigid wings at the Oz Report forum   link»

VAT and hang gliders

Switzerland is not part of the EU (AIR factory, Germany)

Matthias "Möve Flieger" <FreieMoeve> writes:

It's no secret in the southern part of Germany, that it's worth to take a trip to Switzerland for a new Glider.  VAT here is 19% (!) While in Switzerland it's only 7.6% !  Most of pilots I know saved a minimum of 600EUROS (~1000US$) up to 800EUROS!  ;-)

Discuss VAT at the Oz Report forum   link»

Landings, some good, some bad

A discussion with videos on how to land

Here at the Oz Report forum.

#1 problem when people land...  too slow. 
#1 thing people *think* is the cause of their bad landings...  hand position.

Here's the secret....

Most gliders can be flared at trim.

Now naturally this changes if you're not in the weight range of the glider or if it's trimmed wrong.  There are ways to deal with all this, but you make exceptions to the rules only once you have the rules.

Lets be clear on this too...  I mean what I say here....  they can be flared at trim.

There's a pilot here that demonstrates this every time he lands....  He swoops into the landing field...  and slowly lets the glider come to trim in ground effect (yes, the slowing part is all done in ground effect)...  when the glider gets to trim...  here's the neat part...  he lets go of the uprights.

I mean fully lets go...  hands off.

He has his hands an inch or two behind the bars...  then as he places them back onto the bars, he continues the motion up into a flare.  It's a pretty fast movement once he starts to put his hands on the bars, and it's a smooth definitive movement.

Perfect landing...  EVERY TIME.

Discuss Landings at the Oz Report forum   link»

Pitcher's toe

(This topic is in: Mar.28 Mar.11 )

Three bottles for your boot.

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11112&start=12

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11112

Discuss Pitcher's toe at the Oz Report forum   link»

Fly King Mountain

A challenge from Vermont (King Mountain)

http://www.flykingmountain.com/

John Armstrong <jmarmstrong1> writes:

A now retired hang glider pilot, John Armstrong, living in Montpelier, Vermont, USHPA #14441, passed President of the Vermont Hang Gliding Association, and a supporter of the wonderful hang gliding sport has pledged to

1) give a $50 bill to the oldest competitor in the King Mountain Hang Gliding Championships,

and

2) give a $50 bill to the pilot coming in 30th in the King Mountain Hang Gliding Championships.

John and his long time hang gliding friend, Jakob Schwaiger (of Vermont's Jake's Mountain), will be attending the meet as spectators, and as a small fun way to support the sport.  John is offering this as a token of the extraordinary privilege he enjoyed being part of the early history of foot launched hang gliding.

Discuss King at the Oz Report forum   link»